Countries around the world require a license plate to be fastened to a motor vehicle in order to readily identify a particular motor vehicle. In many applications, the license plate is secured to a body panel by means of two or more insert nuts anchored in cooperating apertures in the body panel and two or more cooperating fasteners that pass through apertures in the license plate and are secured in the insert nuts.
In order to prevent (1) the license plate from rattling against the sheet metal or plastic body panel and (2) water and/or other debris from leaking into the motor vehicle through the holes in the body panel, separate foam washers or bumpers are secured by means of the fasteners between the license plate and body panel. While these separate resilient foam washers or bumpers are effective for these purposes, they are not without their drawbacks. Since the foam washers or bumpers are separate component parts, they must be accounted for and properly assembled in position. This increases installation complexity and installation time.
This document relates to a new and improved insert nut and fastening system that incorporate an integral seal and bumper. By incorporating an integral seal and bumper, the insert nut and fastening system avoid the need to account for a separate seal, simplifying assembly times and reducing assembly costs.